Rome Is Burning – Rome Is Burning
Release Date: 1st September 2025
Label: Self Released
Spotify
Genre: Hard Rock, Alternative Rock, Grunge.
FFO: QTSA, Velvet Revolver, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Warrior Soul.
Review By: Paul Franklin
Rome Is Burning is the self-titled, self-produced and self-released debut from this Birmingham hard alt-rock foursome, who only formed in 2024.
Straight off the bat, if you were listening to rock back in the late 90s/early 00s, this record is going to be bringing back more memories than a Facebook algorithm. From the opening bars of Under Attack to the closing of Noose, these eight tracks just ooze that classic 90s rock/grunge vibe, echoing all the iconic bands from that era. The lycanthropic Run! in particular, highlights the comparisons to Velvet Revolver that are prevalently mentioned in their bio.
Which does become a bit of a problem. It’s all very well and enthusiastically played, but on occasion you can find yourself playing a game of ‘name that tune/band’ instead of recognising what Rome Is Burning are actually doing themselves. Case in point is the final track, Noose, objectively the best track on the album, a slow burn number with a fantastically catchy chorus but, because of the aforementioned familiarity of the previous material, it’s difficult to know if the appreciation is because it sounds like something you’ve heard before. Which, if it isn’t the case, is doing the band a huge disservice.
However, when all is said and done this is an enjoyably solid debut that, if you enjoyed rock back at the turn of the millennium, you’ll find more than enough here to bring back those welcome memories.
(3 / 5)
